Compendium of Magic

I nformation received by the spirit world that makes a connection to the natural world in order to communicate between both the spirit and natural world. According to Julius Firmicus Maternus, symbols were linked to magical objects as a source of communication thergists used. “And yet to get to the divine work started here on earth the theurgist will use physical objects like the plants, stones and spices of that text. Iamblichus classifies such natural objects, which are also magical objects, as the signs, symbols and tokens that connect the thergist with the gods by starting an ascent to the super celestials” (Copenhaver, 2015, 160).   In the Holy Books of Hermes, symbols were letters used to describe the first man Thoth. “And they have called him that from the language of the angels- not just that language, but also in symbols taken from the four elements of the whole sphere they speak of him as of a body: his letter alpha signifies the east, the air; h...

Sorcery A sorcerer is a person who practices magic and thus has the ability to make the unexplainable happen. However, sorcery does not just refer to any type of magic. According to Copenhaver, sorcery is also known as a “magical wrongdoing” (Copenhaver 2015, 93). Another word for harmful sorcery is “Maleficium”, which is seen as a criminal offense (Apuleius 2015, 143). It is said that even Moses, after bringing about the Ten Commandments, claimed that sorcery was evil and should be illegal (Copenhaver 2015, 17). This practice is commonly associated with witches, who were seen as evil because of their suspected relations with the devil. Witches were believed to be able to manipulate the feelings or actions of others as well as cause damage using mysterious methods of magic (Burchard 2015, 273). This kind of sorcery was feared by all and the suspicion that resulted often led to the accused women being put to death. Sorcery was not only associated with witches, but with other ki...

Superstition Superstition is the belief that an event can be caused as a result of a supernatural happening or being. People who are superstitious readily attribute magical qualities to objects and events with the belief that something larger is going on than meets the eye. Augustine, a student of the psychology of superstition, explains that “Anything undertaken by humans to make and worship idols is superstitious, whether it involves giving divine honours to a creature or any part of a creature or enquiries and certain pacts and marks agreed and contracted with demons – like those attempted in the magical arts” (Augustine 2015, 241). This claims that people who are superstitious are in accordance with demons and usually possess a magical worldview. Superstition can run deep in a culture’s beliefs. Copenhaver explains that superstition was extensively woven into society and showed itself through “Ordinary customs and conventions” (Copenhaver 2015, 248), meaning that their norma...